Web changing device



Jan. 1, 1963 G. LOOSER 3,071 ,333

WEB CHANGING DEVICE Filed July 21, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. fwz m1 Y/WM f M0 Jan. I, 1963 G. LOOSER 3,071,333 WEB CHANGING DEVICE Filed July 21, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Switzerland Fiietl July 21, 1958, Ser. No. 749,683 3 Claims. (Cl. 24258.2)

The present invention relates to a Web changing and unwinding device.

A first object of this invention is to provide a device for joining a new web to the end of an unwound web without causing any tension or stress in the webs.

A further object of this invention is a continuous operation with a smooth transition from the first web to the second web without interruption of the operation of a web-treating machine which may apply a coating film to the webs.

Yet a further object is a device which is easy to operate, simple in design and permits a replacing of the web rolls during a continuous operation.

An embodiment of the device according to this invention is shown in the drawing in which:

PEG. 1 is perspective view of the web changing device,

FIGS. 2-5 are schematic side views showing various stages of the unwinding, unrolling and web changing operations.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale illustrating a preferred embodiment partly in section.

The web changing device according to FIG. 1 comprises a central main shaft 1 whose ends are supported in supports or hearing blocks 2, 3. Arranged in parallel relationship with shaft 1 are two web-roll supporting shaft means 4, 5 over which the web rolls to be unrolled 8, it) are slipped. These two shafts 4, 5, which are arranged between the two bearing blocks 2, 3 are connected, by arm means 6 with the ends of the central shaft 1 and can be swivelled about the said main shaft 1 independently of one another.

The relative adjustment angle between the two shaft means 4, 5 exceeds 180, but is less than 360 i.e. with one shaft immobile the other shaft can be swivelled by over 180 relative to the former. Both web-roll supporting shafts can, in addition, be rotated completely about the main shaft 1. This rotation is performed by a drive located within the bearing blocks 2, 3. A driving motor and associated transmission means cause independent the swivelling movement of either shaft 4, 5 about the axis of main shaft 1. Actuation of the transmission means is controlled from a control desk.

The web 9 of the unwinding loeb roll 8 passes about guide roller 7 and then enters the machine provided for processing the Web, such as a laminating, printing or any other machine designed for finishing or processing the web, for example by coating the same with a plastic film.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 to 5, the device operates as follows:

The roll 8 from which the band-type web 9 is unrolled rotates about its axis together with the shaft 5, the web 9 passing over the guide roller 7 and then into the processing machine. Towards the end of roll 8, a second new full roll 10 of substantially equal width is caused to rotate in the direction of arrow A (FIG. 2) by means of an electric drive motor so that its peripheral speed approximates the speed of the web 9. Shortly before the end of the roll 8 is reached, the shaft 4 with the roll 10 carried thereby is swivelled about the axis of main shaft 1 towards the roll 8 until the surface of roll 10 touches web 9 (FIG. 2). The outside of the free end of roll 10 or 3,671,333 Patented Jan. 1, 1963 the end of web 9 is provided with an adhesive, or the materials unrolled may be adhesive, so that the ends of the webs are attached to each other and the leading end of the new web is carried forward. Both webs therefore move in superposed and parallel relationship until the roll 8 is spent. Since the roll 10 is positively driven, the joining operation between the two webs can be effected without any stress on the webs.

In the course of the unwinding operation the roll 10 is then swivelled into the position previously held by the roll 8 and the empty shaft 5 is swivelled back so that it can be replaced by a shaft carrying a new full roll (FIGS. 3 and 4). The new roll is then turned in the direction of arrow B so that it is ready for operation (FIG. 5) when the end of the unwinding roll approaches.

A preferred embodiment will now be described with reference to FIG. 6. The design of the rotary roll drive is such as to enable braking of the rolls so as to exert a certain pulling action on the web 9.

The main shaft 1 includes an inner shaft '12 and an outer hollow shaft 11 connected by arm 62 to a driven shaft 11a. Shaft 12 is driven by a motor 13 through gears 14, and shaft 11 is independently driven by motor 15 through gear 16 and shaft list. As best seen in FIG. 6, arms 6 include a first pair of arms 61 and 62 supporting web roll-supporting shaft 5, and a second pair of arms 63 and 64 supporting web roll-supporting shaft means 4. Arm 62 is hollow and houses transmission means 162 which are driven through a pair of bevel gears 163 for a motor 65. Consequently, arms 61, 62 can be turned together with shaft 11, 11a by motor 15, while motor 65 drives shaft 5. Arms 63 and 64 turn with shaft 12 under control of motor 13, while shaft 4 is driven through transmission 66 in arm 63 and bevel gears 67 by motor 68. Motors 13 and 68 are located in one support 3, and motors 15 and 65 are located in the other support 2. Motors 13 and 15 constitute operating means for turning shafts 4 and 5 between a loading position shown on the left of FIGS. 3 and 4, a web-changing postion as shown at 10 in FIG. 2, and a web-unwinding position as shown at 8 in FIG. 2. Motors 65 and 68 are not only capable of driving shafts 4 and 5 but also of braking the same when driven as generators when the respective shaft is rotated in the unwinding position by the unwinding web.

The webs may be formed of any thin flexible material, such as paper, plastics, textiles, metal foils and the like.

The device disclosed can obviously be used not only for unwinding web rolls, but also for winding up webs since this merely involves a kinematic reversal.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:

1. Web-changing and unwinding apparatus comprising, in combination, two parallel web roll-supporting shaft means; a main shaft parallel to said shaft means; two supporting means supporting each of said web rollsupporting shaft means for independent turning movemen: about said main shaft between'a loading position for receiving a new web roll, a web-changing position, and a web-unwinding position for unwinding a web roll along a path substantially tangential to a new web roll on the respective other shaft means in said web-changing position, each of said supporting means including a pair of arm means one of which is hollow; and two drive means respectively connected to said two shaft means for driving the same independently of each other, and being operable to rotate the respective associated shaft means when the same is in saidWeb-changing position until a new web roll thereon has a peripheral speed substantially equal to the speed of a web unwound from the other shaft means in said web-unwinding position, each of said drive means including transmission-means located in the respective hollow arm means; and two operating means respectively operatively connected to said supporting means for turning said shaft means about said main shaft independently of each other so that one shaft means can he turned from said loading position to said web-changing position for attachment of a new web r011 thereon to the web unwound from the other shaft means in said web-unwinding position, and so that the other shaft means can be moved from said web-unwinding position to said loading position and the shaft means in said web-changing position can be moved to said webunwnding position when the web roll on the other shaft means is completely unwound.

2. Web-changing apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said main shaft includes an inner shaft and a hollow outer shaft receiving therein part of said inner shaft; wherein one pair of arm means is secured to said hollow outer shaft, and the other pair of arm means is secured to said inner shaft for turning movement; and wherein one of said operating means drives said inner 4. shaft, and the other of said operating means drives said outer shaft.

3. Web-changing apparatus as set forth in claim 2 and including a pair of hollow supports for said main shaft; and wherein said drive means and said operating means are motors, two of said motors being located in each of said hollow supports, the motor driving said inner shaft being located in one of said supports and the motor driving said outer shaft being located in the other of said supports.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,569,650 Coldwell Jan. 12, 1926 1,908,490 Scott May 9, 1933 1,932,642 Schmidt Oct. 31, 1933 2,686,015 Stevens Aug. 10, 1954 2,772,054 Herele et a1 Nov. 27, 1956 2,776,802 Phelps Jan. 8, 1957 2,963,234 Chase et a1 Dec. 6, 1960 

1. WEB-CHANGING AND UNWINDING APPARATUS COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, TWO PARALLEL WEB ROLL-SUPPORTING SHAFT MEANS; A MAIN SHAFT PARALLEL TO SAID SHAFT MEANS; TWO SUPPORTING MEANS SUPPORTING EACH OF SAID WEB ROLLSUPPORTING SHAFT MEANS FOR INDEPENDENT TURNING MOVEMENT ABOUT SAID MAIN SHAFT BETWEEN A LOADING POSITION FOR RECEIVING A NEW WEB ROLL, A WEB-CHANGING POSITION, AND A WEB-UNWINDING POSITION FOR UNWINDING A WEB ROLL ALONG A PATH SUBSTANTIALLY TANGENTIAL TO A NEW WEB ROLL ON THE RESPECTIVE OTHER SHAFT MEANS IN SAID WEB-CHANGING POSITION, EACH OF SAID SUPPORTING MEANS INCLUDING A PAIR OF ARM MEANS ONE OF WHICH IS HOLLOW; AND TWO DRIVE MEANS RESPECTIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID TWO SHAFT MEANS FOR DRIVING THE SAME INDEPENDENTLY OF EACH OTHER, AND BEING OPERABLE TO ROTATE THE RESPECTIVE ASSOCIATED SHAFT MEANS WHEN THE SAME IS IN SAID WEB-CHANGING POSITION UNTIL A NEW WEB ROLL THEREON HAS A PERIPHERAL SPEED SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE SPEED OF A WEB UNWOUND FROM THE OTHER SHAFT MEANS IN SAID WEB-UNWINDING POSITION, EACH OF SAID DRIVE MEANS INCLUDING TRANSMISSION MEANS LOCATED IN THE RESPECTIVE HOLLOW ARM MEANS; AND TWO OPERATING MEANS RESPECTIVELY OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID SUPPORTING MEANS FOR TURNING SAID SHAFT MEANS ABOUT SAID MAIN SHAFT INDEPENDENTLY OF EACH OTHER SO THAT ONE SHAFT MEANS CAN BE TURNED FROM SAID LOADING POSITION TO SAID WEB-CHANGING POSITION FOR ATTACHMENT OF A NEW WEB ROLL THEREON TO THE WEB UNWOUND FROM THE OTHER SHAFT MEANS IN SAID WEB-UNWINDING POSITION, AND SO THAT THE OTHER SHAFT MEANS CAN BE MOVED FROM SAID WEB-UNWINDING POSITION TO SAID LOADING POSITION AND THE SHAFT MEANS IN SAID WEB-CHANGING POSITION CAN BE MOVED TO SAID WEBUNWINDING POSITION WHEN THE WEB ROLL ON THE OTHER SHAFT MEANS IS COMPLETELY UNWOUND. 